Catholic Philanthrophy: The Missing Resource

“To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power, but to decide to whom to give it and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy manner. Hence, it is that such excellence is rare, praiseworthy, and noble.” Aristotle Philanthropy is a missing resource in the Catholic communities that live in poverty within the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, poverty is the state in which people find themselves when their income falls below a designated level, which has been determined to be the amount of income required to provide what is needed to live (2005). Linda Lobao, professor at The Ohio State University defined poverty as living in a society without sufficient assets to carry out normal existence within that society (Lobao, 2001). With so many cities in the eastern United States witnessing Catholics as being in a condition of philanthropic poverty, it is first necessary to define the role of philanthropy and to establish what philanthropy is available in the broader society. Bremner (1994) defined philanthropy as that which is given “to prevent and correct social and environmental problems and improve life and living conditions for people and creatures” (p. 99). For Bremner, then, philanthropic giving and the level of poverty should be related but inversely. What is the role of philanthropic assets and why is their low level a concern to those working in community and economic development as well as the field of philanthropy within the US? Philanthropy is important as it is the resource necessary for “building the bedrock institutions of American society in education, religion, and politics” (McCully, 2000, p. 20). Philanthropy is 1 of 3 sectors of economic activity. Most are familiar with the first two: the private sector (business) and the public sector (government). But in the third sector, known variously as the nonprofit, voluntary, tax exempt, or, most commonly, independent sector lies philanthropy (Pifer, 1987). According to Pifer, in this sector, “we accomplish some of our nation’s most important purposes” (p. 122). The independent sector carries out its work in the space known as civil society. Within this space between individuals and government, voluntary associations are formed for the purpose of promoting belongingness, inclusiveness, and diversity to increase the capacity to act (Learning About Civil Society, 1997). In civil society are “the community, social agencies, informal and formal activities such as sports clubs, volunteering, caring for neighbors, [sic] and so on” (White, 1997, p. 3). So why philanthropy? The case can be simply stated: If economic development requires a physical infrastructure of water mains and power lines so that factories, schools, and houses can be built, then community development requires a corresponding civil infrastructure for institutions to work, programs to function, and problems to be solved. This includes Catholic schools, missions, hospitals, and other ministry offices. Foundations depend on strong religious societies for their objectives to be met. If religious societies are weak, grant makers will invest in secular infrastructure. (Mathews, 1995, p. 42 - 43). Therefore, philanthropy plays a central role in creating the Catholic and religious infrastructure that supports the work of a civil society.